


DIVA

by daydreamingengineering (MissAdventure)



Category: Who Killed Markiplier? (Web Series)
Genre: dark!Chica origin story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29666424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissAdventure/pseuds/daydreamingengineering
Summary: What has that monster made us?
Kudos: 6





	DIVA

**Author's Note:**

> I finally got around to watching Damien and most of the new ego videos and I didn't feel like studying for my rheology exam. I took some liberties on the layout of the manor. I also named Dark!Chica Diva, or Riva as she's originally known, so I think we can look passed door layout and any other creative decisions, like deciding DAMIEN takes right after WKM and lasts for years rather than the few seconds we look in the mirror. Enjoy!

Riva’s favorite time of day was the evening. She always ate her dinner in the same place in the kitchen at the same time. Then, she would join her father in the dining room and he would give her a little bit of his food if she had been a good girl. She was always a good girl. After dinner, they would go into the living room and relax by the fire until it was time to go upstairs to bed. The house staff was gone and no one ever came to the door. It was just her and father. 

But tonight was different. She was given dinner earlier than usual. Father didn’t eat dinner in the dining room so she didn’t get bits of his food. They didn’t go into the living room to relax, instead father went right upstairs. Riva watched from her spot on the bed as her father puttered around his room. He was getting ready to go to a party.

Father smiled at her, “I’ll only be gone tonight, Riva. I’m just going to Mark’s. I’ll be back after breakfast and then it’s just you and me. You can help me in my office. I got some papers I need to send to Danny. They seem to be enjoying their new position as DA.”

Riva wagged her tail and barked. She loved it when Father talked to her like this. She wasn’t sure what a lot of it meant, but she didn’t care. He laughed and patted her head. “You’re such a goof, Riva.” She licked his hand.

Father put on his fine black jacket and smoothed it out. He picked up his favorite cane and gestured towards the door with his head, “Come.” 

Riva leapt off the bed and right to his side. She walked right next to him. She was careful going down the stairs, staying close while not tripping him. It was a slow process for Father with his bad knee. He rubbed her head when they finally reached the bottom, “What would I do without, girl?”

Riva wagged her tail, pleased.

There was a knock at the door. 

“Aw, that must be the driver,” said father, he pointed to her bed in the living room, “Go lay down, I’ll see you soon.” 

With that, her father walked out the door and said to the man waiting outside, “Evening, Tom, to Markiplier Manor, please.”

Riva watched from the window as the car lights disappeared from view. She went over to  
her bed and laid down. The faster she went to sleep, the faster Father would be home.

He wasn’t home that morning like he said. The maid stopped by and fed her breakfast. When he still wasn’t home by evening, the maid made a ‘tsk, tsk’ noise when she fed her dinner. Riva went back to sleep in her bed just as father had told her to.

He wasn’t home the next morning either. Instead, some men in strange uniforms came by. They looked around the house. They talked to the maid. They put Riva in the spare room because she was ‘in the way.’ She didn’t care much for them. She was happy when they left. The maid fed her dinner again that evening. She went to sleep in her same bed.

He wasn’t there the next day or the day after. The nice maid fed her breakfast each morning when she arrived and dinner each evening. The nice neighbor had even taken her for a walk. She was happy to have her meals and happy to get a walk, but it wasn’t the same. She was starting to miss father. He had never left her here alone before for so long. She wanted him home. She wanted him to feed her her meals and then share his with her. She wanted to go on their slow walks together and snuggle in the evening. She wanted to wake up in his room in her bed next to his. She wanted Father to come home from his party already.

Riva was fed her fifth breakfast in a row by the nice maid. She watched as the maid went off to do what work she could find. The maid seemed sad. Riva figured she was upset father had been gone so long too.

Riva sat in the front room, staring out the window. She watched as a few cars passed by. Then it occurred to her, she could go get her father. She remembered him saying Markiplier Manor and talking about Mark. Those men in uniforms said that name too. She knew Mark’s house. It was the large one at the top of the hill. She had walked that way before and Riva figured she could remember the way.

She just needed to get outside. She laid down by the front door. She had waited this long, she could wait a little more. 

Just as she started to doze off, Riva perked up as she noticed the maid coming to her. The maid cooed at her and told her to sit. Riva pushed herself up. The maid opened the door and stepped out. Riva peered out. The maid was talking to the mailman Riva had chased before. She couldn’t make out what they were saying though, all she heard was “Damien” and “it’s too bad”.

Riva wagged her tail. This was her chance. Disobeying the maid’s order, Riva bolted out the door. She dashed past them both as quick as she could. 

“Riva! Riva! Stop! Come!” The maid called after her. Riva could hear the two of them chase after her. It didn’t matter; she was faster and needed to go get her father.

She turned a corner and then another. She ran past the tall oak tree and kept going. She didn’t stop until the houses became more scarce and the people started to disappear. It was quieter out here. It felt different, even if it was only a couple miles. She kept walking at a calmer pace, but still focused and determined.

Riva recognized the road leading up to Markiplier Manor when she reached it. Storm clouds were gathering in the far distance and Riva was starting to feel cold from the wind. She started up the stone road that would lead her to the manor.

Riva had visited Markiplier Manor before with her father and had even stayed there a few times when Father had to travel without her. It had been a long time since she had visited. The few times when she went without Father, Celine had walked to their home and picked her up. Celine and her walked all the way back to the manor. Riva remembered it being a very long walk. She and Father never took very long walks together.

Riva liked Celine. Celine was nice and gave Riva tasty meat and let her sleep on the couch. Mark told Celine not to feed her anything from the table and always ordered her off the furniture. He did let her swim in the pool, so Riva supposed that made up for being woken from naps even if she had to wait until she was dry to go back in. Home didn’t have a pool for her to swim in and Father only took her to the beach when it was hot and he didn’t have to leave her for the day.

The manor always seemed impossibly big to her. Its ceilings were so high she had to tilt her head back as far as she could to see the ceiling. She could run through the yard and never get bored. There were little creatures to chase and new smells everywhere. Gardner yelled at her for digging, but the butler would sometimes throw her ball. There were rooms everywhere inside. She would never need to sleep in the same place twice if she wanted to.

But, for all its fun, the manor wasn’t like home. Home was warm and cozy. The manor felt cold and lonely. At home, she could always hear someone, everything smelled familiar, and she was never more than a moment’s run from Father. At the manor, she could wander for hours and never hear, smell, or see a person. Riva liked her visits, but she was glad her and Father lived at home.

As thunder clamored in the distance, Riva quickened her pace, her claws clicking on the stone road. She needed to find her father so they could go home. Riva wanted nothing more than to eat her dinner in her usual place, rest her head in her father’s lap while he read late into the evening, and fall asleep in her bed next to his. They could visit the manor again tomorrow if father wanted, but tonight she wanted him to go home.

The manor had a few sporadic lights on in the windows and the front door was wide open. Riva wagged her tail and ran inside. The wind closed the door behind her. 

The manor didn’t look like it had the last time she was there. There was glass and wooden splitters on the floor. A pool of blood was dried in the middle. The house smelled different, like the bird she’s found at the beach that father wouldn’t let her eat and when William played with his very loud toy. She could also smell Father here.

She smelled him strongest upstairs so she made her way up. She meandered through the maze of halls and rooms before finally stumbling on one that smelled like him most. She nudged the door open. 

It was a bedroom. The bed was made but Father had clearly been here. She sniffed the sheets and wagged her tail as hard as she could. He was close. She looked around the room and walked around the bed and into the closet and bathroom. He wasn’t in this room.

She trotted out of the bedroom. Riva was now confident her father was in the manor. She just needed to find him and then they could go home. Riva wouldn’t even mind if they had to walk all the way back instead of riding in the car.

Riva searched the entire second floor with the precision of a trained search dog, or at least she liked to think she did. The drawing room smelled like Father and Celine, but they weren’t there. A bedroom smelled like William but that too was empty. There was no one but her up here. Careful of the hole in the railing, she walked back to the staircase and went to explore the main floor. The main floor smelled like Father but also like Mark, William, and Celine.

She went through every room. The lounge smelled like Mark, but he wasn’t there. It also smelled like that drink father had every once a while. It had a distinct smell and Riva didn’t like it very much.

Out of the corner of her eye, Riva could make out a shadow. Turning quickly, she saw that there was no one there. Riva tilted her head and headed into the kitchen. 

In the kitchen, it was quiet and clean. The backdoor was cracked open and the door to the wine cellar was shut. All she could smell was the deli meat left on the counter. She stealthily stood up and snagged some of the meat. It was warm and tasted different, but still delicious. She was pleased she hadn’t got caught, but also slightly disappointed.

_Clack!_

Riva swiveled and faced the wine cellar. The door was open. She could make out a faint shadow going down the stairs. Riva wagged her tail and walked in. Someone was here!

Riva pranced down the staircase, barely touching the steps as she went. At the bottom, she turned to face the room. Her tail stopped in place. All she saw was an empty room and countless racks of wine bottles. No one was down here. She made a sound of confusion.

_Slam!_

Riva looked up and saw the door she had come in was now firmly closed. She rushed up the stairs and clawed at the door. She whimpered and whined. Someone would hear her and come running. She must have been shut in on accident. If Father had already gone home, he would notice she was gone and come get her. Someone would let her out.

After what felt like ages, her throat hurt and she was tired so she laid down. She closed her eyes and took a nap, hoping when she opened them next the door would be open.

The next time she woke up, the door was still closed and the lights had turned off. She was trapped in the dark. She clawed at the door. She cried and barked as loud as she could. She cried and barked for hours and hours.

No matter how much noise she made or how hard she clawed, the door stayed shut and the lights stayed off. Riva went back to sleep.

The next time she woke up, her stomach growled from hunger and she was so very thirsty. She curled up as close to the door as she could and cried. She wanted her father. She wanted to go home. She wanted her dinner and a long drink of water. She wanted to lay in the grass in the sun. She wanted father to pet her and tell her how good a girl she is. She wanted to sleep in her soft bed. She didn’t want to be down here anymore. She wanted to go home. She went back to sleep.

She doesn’t know how long she was down there. It must have been days. It must have been weeks. It must have been forever. She would wake up only to be met with darkness. Her stomach hurt more each time. Soon she couldn’t get up if she wanted to. Everything was painful and she was exhausted no matter how much she slept. She still knew Father would save her as soon as he realized where she was. She went back to sleep.

The last time Riva woke up, she couldn’t open her eyes. She didn’t have the strength. She couldn’t make a sound. Every breath felt forced and sharp, like her ribs were broken. She didn’t have it in her to cry anymore. 

She felt something stroke her fur. It didn’t quite feel like a hard and she wasn’t even sure it was comforting. 

_Oh, you poor thing. It’s not fair, is it? You just wanted everyone to be happy. You did your best. You did everything right, but it didn’t matter. You were just a pawn in someone else’s game, a plaything. You’re as pathetic as your master, but I suppose that’s to be expected. I think it’s time you go to sleep, Riva._

\------

A long time had passed before he finally stepped out of the Void and into the physical plane again. Dam- No, he wasn’t Damien. Not anymore. Damien spent who knows how long being a stupid pawn in others games and he would be no one’s pawn. If Mark wanted a villain, then he would be Mark’s worst goddamn nightmare. 

No, he wasn’t Damien; Damien was dead as far as he cared. 

The amalgamation stepped into the foyer, his cane coming down with a sharp, harsh tap. The garish manor was in disrepair. The windows were shattered and shards of glass littered the ground. The once polished floor was stained with filth. Wood of the stairs was rotting. The paint was peeling. All the illusions of grandeur was gone, toppled like a house of cards. 

“Good,” said the amalgamation smuggly with a twisted grin.

He took a step towards the door. As he approached, he noticed a detail that had escaped him. The red wasn’t discoloration like he originally thought, it was blood. Blood was dried on the inside of the door. He furrowed his eyebrows. That wasn't there last time he stood here, before Celine trapped him and Mark in the godforsaken loop.

Etched into the door, surrounded by the splatter, was a large claw mark. The paw that made it would have to have been over a foot wide. The markings looked like they almost went through the door. Whatever poor creature found itself trapped by the monster didn’t stand a chance.

The amalgamation stood still, eyes narrowing as he contemplated if this was another trick by Marc.

A soft clicking was heard coming from the kitchen. He froze. 

The beast was still here. He tightened his grip on his cane. He slowly turned to face whatever horror Mark planned to torment him with next.

A shadow of a hound appeared on the wall. It continued towards him. 

He took a deep breath.

The shadow got larger and larger and the clicking got louder and louder.

He braced for an attack. 

The attack never came. The beast was not the mammoth hellhound he was expecting. It was smaller, the size of a regular dog.

The amalgamation studied the dog as it appeared to study him. The dog was clearly a golden retriever by breeding, but its color was wrong. Its fur was gray with flecks of red and blue tinting the tips and its eyes were completely black. The dog looked vaguely familiar, if he was being perfectly honest.

The dog tilted its head at him and sniffed the air. The dog froze too. 

Then it lept. He brought his hands up to protect his face. The dog howled and thrashed, but made no move to bite. The dog had placed its paws on his chest and was wagging its tail as hard as it could. The noise wasn’t growls, it was whines of excitement. 

The dark entity stayed still, but this time with confusion. The dog was happy to see him. 

Cautiously, he reached down and patted its side. The dog let out another high bark and licked his hand. He grimaced at the slobber. 

“Off!” he ordered.

The dog immediately jumped back and planted itself in a perfect sit. Its tail didn’t slow down. Its feet tapped happily in place.

Then he realized why the dog seemed so familiar, but it couldn’t be. It shouldn’t be.

“Riva?”

She shook her whole body in joy at the sound of the name and gave him that same smile she always had. The dark aura surrounding her pulsed erratically. This was Riva, but not Riva. 

He looked down at his own hands. They were a deathlike gray, lined with blue and red flickers and surrounded by gray. She was like him.

With the understanding that this was indeed Damien’s dog and at the same time _not_ , he didn’t know whether he wanted to scream or finish destroying the fucking manor and burn it to the ground. Perhaps both.

He clenched his fists and his aura wildly flickered with fury. He pushed down the rage he felt simmering in his body when he noticed Riva had slowed her wagging. He was scaring her. He took a deep breath and held out his hand. 

“Hello, girl,” he gently patted her head. “It’s been a while.” She took this as an invitation to press her body up as close to his as she could. Her tail thumped.

He took a step away from Riva, “Heel.” He couldn’t help but smile faintly as the dog stood next to his right leg, just as she had before.

With Damien’s (his?) dog by his side, he walked through the house to take stock of the changes and see what was left. The archways were demolished, no longer arches. The ceiling was cracked and marred by impacts. The banisters had been knocked over and had teeth marks on them, both large and small. In the lounge, the couch had been smashed to pieces. The windows were broken and the curtains shredded. Some rooms reeked of ammonia. Mark had alway been so proud of this home and now it was in squalor. 

The kitchen looked ransacked, all of the cabinets opened and trash littered the ground. Claw and teeth marks were visible everywhere. The most drastic change had to be the entryway to the cellar. The wall no longer existed. Instead, the door was mere splitters and the wall rubble. It appeared as if it had been destroyed from the inside out. There were streaks of blood on the floor leading through the mess and down the stairs.

Taking a cautious glance down into the cellar, what he saw was appalling. The manor had looked as if it had not been trespassed since the party, but clearly some had and they had not left. The floor was black with dried blood. Human bones littered the ground, cleaned of their marrow. He could make out at least five skulls all in pieces. It smelled of demise and decay.

Beside him, Riva trotted on down, laid down in the death filled room, and started gnawing on a femur. He noted that one of the corners was more worn than the others and had scapes of blankets scattered. This was her den, he realized.

There were no other beasts in this manor. Only him and her.

He walked down the stairs toward the dog. She looked up at him, curling around the bone protectively.

“What has that monster made us, Riva?” She didn’t answer, only returning to her snack.

He turned and went back up stairs and found that first thing he could break. By the time Not-Riva came up from her den, what little that had somehow survived was now in pieces. He heaved his chest from his spot on the floor, surrounded by the evidence of his own demonic nature. Not-Riva stared at him and Not-Damien stared back. Not-Damien shoved himself up and Not-Riva followed.

He returned to the foyer, his dog by his side. He stopped in front of the door he should have fled out of the day many years ago. He still didn’t even know how many years.

He looked down at his loyal friend. “What shall I call you now?” he said to the dog. She only looked back at him.

“I’ll think of something,” he said, “Now, come. We have a lot of work to do.”

The door slammed behind them as the man and his dog finally left Markiplier Manor.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: daydreamingengineering


End file.
